Rail

Siemens awarded TriMet light rail vehicle contract

Siemens has been awarded a $73 million contract to build 18 of its S70 light rail vehicles for TriMet in Portland, Ore. The vehicles will be manufactured from start to finish at Siemens' rail vehicle manufacturing plant in Sacramento, Calif., a facility powered almost entirely by two megawatts of solar energy. The first new rail cars are expected to be delivered in August 2014.

These 18 vehicles were ordered as a part of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project. This extension includes a light rail alignment that travels 7.3 miles, connecting Portland State University in downtown Portland, inner Southeast Portland, Milwaukie and North Clackamas County. When it opens in September 2015, it will bring the light rail system to a total of 60 miles and 97 stations.

The extension includes 10 stations and the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge spanning the Willamette River between the Oregon Health & Science University's South Waterfront Campus to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This contract award will bring the total number of S70 light rail cars manufactured for TriMet by Siemens to 40. Siemens Rail Systems has a strong relationship with TriMet, having previously provided more than 100 low floor vehicles, including TriMet's newest fleet of 22 S70 light rail vehicles delivered in 2009.

The light rail project is a central element to the region's development, with about 22,000 households and 85,000 employees within walking distance of the stations. It's expected that 25,000 trips will be taken on the new line each weekday by the year 2030.

"This fifth generation of MAX light rail vehicles will include many improvements for riders and operators," said Dan Blocher, TriMet executive director of Capital Projects.

The S70 Type 5 has a maximum operational speed of 55 miles per hour. Its low floor design enables passengers to board the train at street level, providing quicker and easier access for people of all abilities.

Rail Operations is currently in the process of replacing all stub end tracks at Hoboken Terminal with new sliding friction bumper blocks, as well as advancing a speed control system for trains entering Hoboken Terminal.

The $99 million streetcar opened in December 2014 amid sky-high expectations, but ridership failed to meet expectations in its first year and plummeted nearly 60% after the city began charging $1 to ride.